Longtime artist Irene Lee give back through her artwork

WAYNE - Longtime artist and Wayne resident Irene Lee is using her artistic ability to help out her community and children in need.

Lee has been an artist since she was a little girl, and most recently, her artwork has been showcased for the charity Freerice, part of the World Food Program, and an organization that works to end hunger and ensure that everyone has access to sufficient amounts of nutrition for their health.

"I showcased around 30 pieces of art. Many of my pieces portray the issues in our world today. I made linoleum block prints with the subjects of mugs, cups, and tumblers to emphasize the need to fill the cups of the needy, while also emphasizing the initiative that we need to take to go green," Lee said. "I also painted on mirrors the images of teenage girls who are preoccupied with their image and have eating disorders to encourage my peers to be comfortable with themselves."

During the school year, Lee attends The Hill School, a boarding school in Pennsylvania, but art has been one of her many passions since grade school.

"I have done art since I was a little girl, and I always enjoyed doing arts and crafts instead of running around outside," she said. "I have been taking art classes since I was in elementary school, and continue to take studio art classes in school now." While her future career goals change constantly, the one thing she’s consistently sure of is that she wants to pursue something related to the arts, and the charity showcase was a great way for Irene to get a taste of pursuing a career in that field "I feel that this showcase has given me the chance to take initiative through something that I love doing," she added. "I am happy that my art is creating an outlet to help those who live in different environments than I do."

While art is clearly a passion, so is philanthropy.

"I strongly believe that I, even as a teenager, have an obligation and responsibility to help those in need," Lee said. "Everyone has the right to family, food, shelter and the things that give them hope and comfort. However, not everyone is fortunate enough to have those things. For this reason, I am most passionate about giving back to the community of what I have received. I believe that everyone should give back to their communities."